A new service has been launched to match empty college rooms with graduate students in need of accommodation.
The Collegiate Accommodation Support Service (CASS) launched on 21 July and set out with a clear mission: to address Oxford’s longstanding challenge of graduate accommodation.
Collegiate Accommodation Service Manager, Craig Hibberd, said:
“Each year, colleges welcome large numbers of graduate freshers, but many have limited housing and cannot provide accommodation to all. At the same time, some colleges have spare capacity, but have been hesitant to house students from outside their own community without a trusted and coordinated framework.
“Through CASS, we’ve now provided that framework. CASS is not just a pilot, but a service Oxford needs to embed as part of its long-term graduate accommodation strategy. With demand rising and college resources stretched, CASS is showing what is possible: a model of efficiency, collaboration, and genuine student support.”
In just two months of operation, CASS has demonstrated its value by placing 70 students across 10 colleges who have provided rooms so far. However, 190 students remain on the waiting list, reflecting the scale of ongoing demand.
Without college accommodation, many graduate students are forced into the private rental market where they face high rents, stiff competition, upfront costs, and limited availability near the University. International students, arriving without guarantors or local networks, often feel particularly vulnerable. CASS is already proving an invaluable service to those in need of it.
As one recently-placed student said:
“I’ve been genuinely impressed by your support—not just the outcome, but also the process itself. As an international student arriving without college housing and facing a difficult private rental market, I felt quite overwhelmed at times. CASS has been an enormous relief. Your help has made a real difference.”
